\ Innovazione \ THE PUSH FOR RENEWED INTEGRATION OF MACRO-REGIONAL INNOVATION POLICIES STARTS IN TRIESTE

Starting an integration strategy of innovation policies in the Adriatic-Ionian, Alpine and Danube macro-region never before implemented: it is the common thread of the Macro-Regional Innovation Week, a week of workshops and seminars that began this morning in Trieste and will end on September 30 in AREA Science Park.

There are 65 international speakers and 250 registered participations, 80 of which are young future experts in the field of innovation from western Balkan countries. “We focus on young recruits as well as all the operators active in the three macro-regions to impose a common, coordinated policy that will provoke a breakthrough in competitive innovation in these territories”, emphasises Giovanni De Santi, Director of the Skills Administration of the JRC at the opening roundtable. “Currently there is no lack of projects, financing, and infrastructure, but rather the lack of a coordinated strategy, a systemic approach that must be made by the policy decision-makers thanks to encouragement coming directly from the territories”. This concept is taken from the President of AREA Science Park Sergio Paoletti, who sponsored the idea of coordinating the policies of the Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) at the macro-regional level. The President of the FVG Region Debora Serracchiani instead highlighted how the European Union has classified Friuli Venezia Giulia as a “strong innovator” due to the presence of innovative manufacturing companies, research centres and international scientific parks in which a high number of researchers from around the work operate.

Macro-Regional Innovation Week is organised by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), a science and knowledge service of the European Commission and AREA Science Park, in collaboration with the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the International Centre of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, the International Association of Science Parks (IASP) and the World International Property Organisation (WIPO).

The numerous meetings that will take place during the week are aimed at promoting the potential for innovation, mobilising initiatives and new projects favourable to employment and economic growth. Special attention will be dedicated to the countries of the western Balkans.

The first part of the Macro-Regional Innovation Week will seek to involve local, national and international decision-makers, academics, financial operators and experts in the transfer of innovation and technology in a constructive debate. The steps necessary for the development of policies to support the expansion of innovation and the commercial distribution of technology will be identified, using the best opportunities of the Strategies of Intelligent Specialisation. The role of science and technology parks will also be at the centre of a dedicated section of the forum.

The second part of the programme will be focused on development and the updating of the staff operating in the eco-systems of innovation, through training courses able to bridge the skills gap in the fields of technology transfer, the management of intellectual property and the marketing and distribution of research results.

This event in Trieste is one piece of the mosaic that is added to the activities of scientific support that the JRC implements in the European macro-regions and is the result of cooperation, other than of AREA Science Park and the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, between IASP, ICGEB, Elettra Sincrotrone, WIPO with the contribution of the General Administrations of the European Commission of Regional and Urban Policies and the internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and the SMEs.